James Irvine, editor of HMS Hampshire: A Century on Myths and Mysteries Unravelled, has recently been in touch with Jock Cumloquoy, great nephew of Jessie Cumloquoy, the Birsay Postmistress in 1916. She had seen a large warship was in distress and went to the Post Office to be ready to send a telegram from the territorial soldiers on lookout duty to the authorities in Kirkwall and Stromness.

Jock has kindly forwarded this remarkable portrait of his great aunt. Jessie had the first message transmitted before Hampshire had sunk!